Discussion focuses on discipline, emergency protocol for school buses

By Mary O’Leary moleary@nhregister.com @nhrmoleary on Twitter

Published
11:10 pm EDT, Wednesday, May 20, 2015

NEW HAVEN >> Directing school bus drivers to call 911 in the event of a medical emergency, rather than calling a dispatcher, was called a commonsense solution that the city and the school board should adopt.

Gwen Samuels, who heads the advocacy group Teach Our Children, said it is not logical to call a third party, such as a dispatcher, rather than directly contact 911 in a medical emergency.

She also supports the use of more monitors on the buses as the responsibility of the bus driver is to safely transport the children and he or she can’t be turning around to check on disruptive students behind him.

Samuels urged alders and the school board to seek state funds to help them and said this was a statewide issue.

The cause of death is still pending, but the New Haven Independent reported that the child was being raised by her grandmother who said TaLea had a heart condition.

In addition to medical safety, the discussion covered issues of discipline, restorative justice, the responsibility of parents to make sure their children behave on the school buses and a wider use of bus monitors.

The New Haven Public Schools currently spends an estimated $1 million for 55 monitors assigned to buses with special education students, as well as for buses with students from kindergarten to third grade, said Will Clark, chief operating officer for the school system.

Sharon Randolph said she has a great-grandson who is 3 years old and a grandson who is 5 years old, both of whom have asthma, as does she.

Randolph said the children ride a school bus to Head Start and she is very concerned as to what would happen if they had an asthma attack on the bus. Neither the drivers nor the monitors are required to learn CPR, Randolph was told.

She said the youngest one had an episode in school, but the school nurse knew what to do. Randolph said there is no such protocol for a medical emergency on the buses.

Randolph and others, who all sat around a conference table with members of the Education Committee, complained about the behavior of older students on the buses, who are mixed with the younger children.

“They have no structure. They should put the little ones up front,” Randolph advised. Officials said they are, but students tend to move around the buses.

Alder Richard Furlow, D-27, who has spent several months assessing the situation on school buses, said he observed a student from West Haven at a magnet school be so disruptive that police had to be called.

He said he has watched the older students cursing and acting out in front of the younger students and he asked whether it was the responsibility of the drivers to write up a discipline report.

Furlow said it is a lot different than when he was in school. He said the system should step up its education of parents detailing what behavior is required of students.

Clark said discipline reports go to Teddi Barra, who heads the school system’s transportation program. He said the ultimate punishment is expulsion, but that could mean the student never returns and they look for other means of enforcing the rules.

Furlow praised the drivers he has watched over the months.

“The majority care about the students. They are extraordinary,” he said. “I’m a patient person, but I could never be a bus driver,”

Several of the speakers said it would be good if the drivers could be advised if students have medical issues. Clark said the parents would have to agree to something like that.

Barra said 78 percent of the drivers live in New Haven. “They are parents and grandparents” of New Haven students, she said.

Alder Aaron Greenberg, D-8, chairman of the committee, said he wanted to see statistics on health issues and fights on the buses and how New Haven compares with other districts on the use of monitors. Clark said the standard is to not use monitors.

“I’d like to hear from drivers. ... I’d like to hear their side, especially when this beautiful picture is being presented,” he said. Berrios-Bones wanted to know if there was any retaliation against them.

Clark said “no and no.” He said he wasn’t attempting to say that everything is all right.

He said he agreed with Furlow, that student behavior isn’t what it used to be. “Let’s just say they are a little more exuberant these days,” Clark said.

Linda Faye Wilson said she and others met with Barra in April 2014 with their concerns about behavior on the buses, and this is the first response they have had.

“They are putting too much on these drivers. ... They are not superhuman beings” who can control what is going on behind them, Wilson said.

Alder Anna Festa, D-10, said parents should discipline their misbehaving children. “We have a discipline problem in this country,” she said.

Greenberg said at the next meeting he wants to hear from the drivers and the union as well as see statistics on incidents, rather than the anecdotal discussion that took place Wednesday.

Barra said police have boarded buses when students are out of control and drivers feel comfortable calling them.

Assistant Police Chief Al Vasquez said “not everything is perfect,” but when people come together and talk it out, they will find a solution.